French Canadian Pea Soup

This is a wonderful soup to have on a very cold winter’s day whether it was walking along a stormy beach, skating or skiing or just wanting a little comfort food.

Serves 8

  • 1 lb. whole dried yellow peas
  • 8 cups water
  • 1/2 lb. salt pork (better yet, ham bone)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery, ribs removed, chopped fine
  • 1/4 cup carrot, grated fine
  • 1 tsp dried savory
  • 1 red pepper, seeded and chopped fine
  • 1 tsp salt

Wash and sort peas, place in large pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for one hour.

Add the salt pork (ham bone) onion, red pepper, celery, carrots, savory and 1 tsp salt.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until peas are very tender (about two hours) adding more water, if required. Remove salt pork (ham bone) and chop the meat and return it to the soup.

Take one half of the soup and slowly puree in a blender and add back to the soup. Be sure to let it cool down a little or it will explode.  Oh yes, it will…and your kitchen will look like a war zone. Just ask anyone that this has happened to and it wasn’t me!

This also freezes well so you can have leftovers for lunch a little later on.

Red Snapper

We are always being told to eat more fish and this is a terrific way to add a new dimension to the fish recipes you now use (not frozen fish cakes/sticks)

 

This makes 4 servings

  • 4 6-ounce red snapper fillets
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
  • 1 yellow medium squash, julienned
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, julienned
  • 1 cup chardonnay wine
  • 4 tsp. lemon juice, divided

Preparation: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray four twelve inch by eighteen inch sheets of tinfoil with non stick cooking spray such as Pam. Place the fillet in the center, top with the vegetables, evenly distributed and add the wine and lemon juice, also equally. Now make a package by folding the edges tightly so that liquid does not escape. Place on a cookie sheet to bake.

Bake the packages until the fish is opaque which should take about ten minutes. Carefully open to check for doneness and plate the fish and top with the vegetables. Spoon any juices in the packages over the fish.

All you need is a great salad, fresh dinner rolls, glass of wine and …….